Finding Wellness in Real Time
The truth of the matter is that the last 18-months have impacted us all differently. Some of us have found new callings, new rhythms, new routines, and others of us are still feeling the effects of living in a haze of uncertainty for so long. Many of us feel stuck - unsure how to start or restart healthy habits; many of us feel uncertain what wellness looks like in a redefined world.
So how can we find wellness in our current, real time? How can we move from stuck to unstuck, and take one step forward on a wellness journey?
Hold space. Allow yourself to acknowledge what is going well for you right now. Taking a walk once or twice a week? Choosing fruit rather than dessert? Learning breathing techniques to manage stress? Finding 5 minutes everyday to daydream? Whatever it may be, hold space to honor what is already going well. We gain motivation and momentum from identifying where we are already moving in a positive direction.
Dream big. Give yourself a chance to consider and dream what you want to be different about your wellness. Do you envision new eating habits, a regular exercise routine or new ways you can express your creative self? Are you seeking a new purpose, a new career, or maybe re-envisioning what currently exists through a new lens? Whatever your dream might be for wellness, and it can be anything - big or small, write it down! Dreams can help lead us away from the stuck, and writing them down signifies your commitment to finding wellness.
Take steps. Itty-bitty, teeny tiny steps towards your dream. Consider one small, micro-change you could make today that could move you towards your dream - what would it be? Dreaming about walking every day…how about trying a 5-minute walk for the next 3 days? Dreaming about starting a new hobby…how about assembling the materials you will need for that hobby? Experiment and play until you find the right step forward. We are living and learning; there is no failure.
Give grace. With both yourself and with others, share grace, compassion, and understanding. We are learning how to navigate the uncertainty of it all and each one of us has our own path to walk. When we give grace to ourselves, we allow ourselves to hold space, dream big and take our teeny steps. When we give grace to others, we hold space for them to be able to walk their own wellness journey surrounded with understanding and support.
There is no clear map for finding wellness, especially in times of uncertainty. However, wellness can be found - whatever that looks like for you - when we take just one step at a time in the direction of our hopes and dreams. In this, we will always be able to find our wellness, starting from within.
